A thriving Arts District envisioned in Somerville  as part of Division Street facelift

The impending facelift of Division Street will do more than just widen sidewalks.

Mayor Brian Gallagher envisions the “new” Division Street as an arts mecca, an eclectic mix of galleries, studios, live entertainment and restaurants.

Both Gallagher and the borough’s Economic Development Director, Colin Driver, said the borough will consider a rezoning of the Division Street district to encourage arts initiatives while including working and living space, all designed to  beckon out-of-town visitors and connect with all that Main Street has to offer.

The “new’’ Division Street, envisioned as a gateway to the downtown shopping district and county office complex will be upgraded and serve as the pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare to connect Main Street with the refurbished NJ Transit station, according to Gallagher.

Soon after Somerville was designated a Transit Village in 2009 by the state Department of Transportation, NJ Transit began the $20 million rail station upgrade now nearing completion.

In making that announcement two years ago, Gov. Chris Christie said:“The Transit Village program encourages local officials to surround nearby transit facilities with a vibrant mix of residential, retail and commercial uses. This type of development spurs sustainable economic growth, maximizes the value of our transit investments and benefits the environment.”

The designation also qualified the borough to apply for grant monies for civic improvements; officials received the good news that their application for a $100,000 grant was approved late last year.

The town is spending the $100,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation on the redesign and refocus of Division Street, which now features a mix of antiques shops, a music store, dance studio, Christian Science Reading Room, a fortune teller, tax preparer, restaurants, a smoke shop, laundromat,  hair stylist, shoe repair shop, a firehouse and second story office space.

 Many of the buildings date to the early 20^th century and retain much of their period charm and architectural embellishments.

Preliminary plans call for widening the sidewalks by six feet into the current right-of-way on both sides of the street. Cobblestone pavers would replace the concrete sidewalks. That will narrow Division Street to a one-way thoroughfare with traffic directed north towards Main Street.  On-street parking on the west side of Division Street will be maintained and the traffic light would remain at the corner of Division Street and West Main Street, according to Driver.

Gallagher joked that the wider walkways will also better accommodate couples that want to walk arm-in-arm or hold hands as they walk side-by-side down Division Street towards Main Street.  The sidewalks are narrow on both sides of the street; pedestrians must dodge utility poles. The sidewalk on the east side of the street has an awkward pitch towards the curb that makes it difficult to walk. “Right now that’s a challenging proposition,” Gallagher said.

The wider walkways will also encourage restaurants to offer outdoor seating as well as ornamental planters and benches similar to Main Street.  Gaslight lampposts similar to those lining Main Street are also under consideration to help improve the aesthetics of Division Street, according to Driver. 

A thriving arts district will engender a natural spillover to Main Street for visitors, according to Gallagher. “The bottom line is that the improvements we envision for Division Street will translate into positive economic development,” Gallagher said.

The Greater Somerville Arts Initiative, a group of residents, merchants and volunteers representing several arts organizations, is helping to shape the vision for the arts district, according to Gallagher.

The organization, along with the Printmaking Center of New Jersey and the Downtown Somerville Alliance is sponsoring “Arts on Division – A Week-long Celebration of the Arts” beginning Friday, May 13 through Saturday, May 21. In addition to live music and art exhibitions, there will be dance ensembles and dramatic readings at locations along Division Street. A schedule is available at www.findsomerville.com